An information processing apparatus having a plurality of display portions have conventionally been developed and commercially available. For example, an information processing apparatus having two displays and an operation portion arranged adjacent to the display is disclosed. In the information processing apparatus having a plurality of displays, display contents on the displays can be independent of each other.
On the other hand, depending on contents in information processing, it may also be necessary to perform processing relating to objects displayed on respective displays.
An exemplary embodiment provides novel information processing apparatus and information processing system allowing processing relating to objects displayed on a plurality of display portions respectively to more intuitively be performed.
An information processing apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment includes a first housing, a second housing coupled to the first housing for allowing opening and closing, and a processing unit. The first housing includes a first display portion provided in a main surface which is a surface hidden when the first housing and the second housing are closed, first and second operation portions provided at respective opposing sides along an upper side which is a side where the second housing is present when the first housing and the second housing are opened, a third operation portion provided on any one of left and right sides of the first display portion in the main surface of the first housing, and a direction operation portion provided on any the other one of the left and right sides of the first display portion in the main surface of the first housing. The second housing includes a second display portion provided in its main surface. The main surface of the second housing and the main surface of the first housing face substantially an identical direction when the first housing and the second housing are opened. The processing unit includes a first object selection unit for at least partially displaying a first object group on the first display portion and selecting at least one first object from the first object group in response to an operation of the direction operation portion, a second object display unit for changing a selected position in an order of alignment in a second object group in response to an operation of the first or second operation portion and causing the second display portion to display at least one object included in the second object group and corresponding to the selected position, and an object addition unit for adding a new object corresponding to the selected first object at a position corresponding to the selected position in the second object group in response to an operation of the third operation portion and then displaying at least one object included in the second object group on the second display portion.
According to the exemplary embodiment, the user can change the selected position in the order of alignment in the second object group by operating the first and second operation portions provided on respective opposing sides along the upper side of the first housing and can select at least one first object from the first object group by operating the direction operation portion provided on any of left and right sides of the first display portion in the main surface of the first housing, independently of change in the selected position in the order of alignment in this second object group. Then, the user can add a new object corresponding to the selected first object at a position corresponding to the selected position in the second object group by operating the third operation portion located on the side opposite to the direction operation portion relative to the first display portion in the main surface of the first housing.
By operating the first to third operation portions and the direction operation portion provided at respective different positions in the first housing, such processing as adding a new object corresponding to the arbitrarily selected first object at any position in the second object group can be performed. Therefore, when the user holds the first housing with his/her both hands, an operation as intended by the user can intuitively and readily be performed with each hand.
According to an exemplary embodiment, the first housing further includes a fourth operation portion provided on the side where the third operation portion is located, relative to the first display portion. The processing unit further includes an object deletion unit for deleting at least one object included in the second object group and corresponding to the selected position in response to an operation of the fourth operation portion and then displaying at least one object included in the second object group on the second display portion.
In addition, according to the exemplary embodiment, an object added to the second object group can readily be deleted, so that addition/deletion of an object to/from the second object group can more intuitively be carried out. Therefore, the user can be provided with fun in determining by trial and error a new object to be added to the second object group.
According to an exemplary embodiment, the second object display unit provides display in a line, of objects included in the second object group in a direction in parallel to the upper side of the first housing and slides the objects included in the displayed second object group in a direction brought in correspondence with relative positional relation with the first or second operation portion relative to the first display portion in response to an operation of the first or second operation portion.
According to the exemplary embodiment, as the user operates the first operation portion or the second operation portion, the second object group displayed in a line is slid in the direction of operation. Therefore, the user can intuitively understand which operation portion of the first operation portion and the second operation portion should be operated in changing a selected position in the order of alignment in the second object group to a target position. Therefore, a selected position in the order of alignment in the second object group can more readily and quickly be set.
According to an exemplary embodiment, the direction operation portion is a cross-shaped key or an analog stick. The first object selection unit provides two-dimensional display of objects included in the first object group and display of a selected image indicating the selected first object at a position in accordance with an operation of the direction operation portion.
According to the exemplary embodiment, the selected image can be moved, and any first object can be selected by operating the direction operation portion in connection with the objects included in the two-dimensionally displayed first object group. Therefore, the user can more readily and quickly select a target first object. In addition, since indication in four directions can be given with one hand by operating a cross-shaped key or an analog stick, a selection operation can be made faster.
According to an exemplary embodiment, the first display portion includes a touch panel. The processing unit further includes an input processing unit capable of performing processing identical to corresponding processing performed when an operation of any of the first to third operation portions and the direction operation portion is performed, based on information detected in response to an operation of the touch panel.
According to the exemplary embodiment, similar processing can be performed also with an operation of a touch panel in addition to an input operation using the first to third operation portions and the direction operation portion. Therefore, the user can select an input method depending on the user's own knowledge level or operability suited to himself/herself. Namely, with an input interface using the touch panel, a message for assisting a user's operation can be displayed, and therefore even a user unaccustomed to a key operation can perform desired processing. On the other hand, a user accustomed to a key operation can quickly perform desired processing by operating the first to third operation portions and the direction operation portion.
According to an exemplary embodiment, the second display portion includes a display capable of stereoscopic display.
According to the exemplary embodiment, the user can enjoy stereoscopic display.
According to an exemplary embodiment, the third and fourth operation portions are arranged within a reach of a user's right thumb when the user holds the first housing with both hands. The direction operation portion is arranged within a reach of a user's left thumb when the user holds the first housing with both hands.
According to an exemplary embodiment, the first operation portion is arranged within a reach of a user's right forefinger when the user holds the first housing with both hands, and the second operation portion is arranged within a reach of a user's left forefinger when the user holds the first housing with both hands.
According to the exemplary embodiment(s), the user's right and left thumbs and forefingers are used to independently perform input operations using the first to third operation portions and the direction operation portion respectively. Therefore, the user can intuitively and quickly perform an input operation.
An information processing apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment includes a first housing, a second housing coupled to the first housing for allowing opening and closing, and a processing unit. The first housing includes a first display portion provided in a main surface which is a surface hidden when the first housing and the second housing are closed, first and second operation portions provided at respective opposing sides along an upper side which is a side where the second housing is present when the first housing and the second housing are opened, a third operation portion provided on any one of left and right sides of the first display portion in the main surface of the first housing, and a direction operation portion provided on any the other one of the left and right sides of the first display portion in the main surface of the first housing. The second housing includes a second display portion provided in its main surface. The main surface of the second housing and the main surface of the first housing face substantially an identical direction when the first housing and the second housing are opened. The processing unit includes a first object selection unit for at least partially displaying a first object group on the first display portion and selecting at least one first object from the first object group in response to an operation of the direction operation portion, a second object display unit for changing a selected position in an order of alignment in a second object group in response to an operation of the first or second operation portion and causing the second display portion to display at least one object included in the second object group and corresponding to the selected position, and an association unit for associating data corresponding to the selected first object with data showing at least one object included in the second object group and corresponding to the selected position in the second object group in response to an operation of the third operation portion and then displaying the associated object on the second display portion, with association with the data being shown.
According to the exemplary embodiment, the user can change the selected position in the order of alignment in the second object group by operating the first and second operation portions provided on respective opposing sides along the upper side of the first housing and can select at least one first object from the first object group by operating the direction operation portion provided on any of left and right sides of the first display portion in the main surface of the first housing, independently of change in the selected position in the order of alignment in this second object group. Then, the user can associate data corresponding to the selected first object with data showing at least one object included in the second object group and corresponding to the selected position in the second object group by operating the third operation portion located on the side opposite to the direction operation portion relative to the first display portion in the main surface of the first housing.
By operating the first to third operation portions and the direction operation portion provided at respective different positions in the first housing, such data corresponding to the arbitrarily selected first object can be associated with any object included in the second object group. Therefore, when the user holds the first housing with his/her both hands, an operation as intended by the user can intuitively and readily be performed with each hand.
According to an exemplary embodiment, the first housing further includes a fourth operation portion provided on the side where the third operation portion is located, relative to the first display portion. The processing unit further includes an association cancellation unit for canceling association with data showing at least one object included in the second object group and corresponding to the selected position in the second object group in response to an operation of the fourth operation portion and then displaying the object, of which association has been canceled, on the second display portion, with absence of association with data being shown.
Further, according to the exemplary embodiment, association of data with the objects included in the second object group can readily be canceled and therefore processing for associating data with an object in the second object group can be performed/canceled more intuitively. Therefore, the user can be provided with fun in determining by trial and error data to be associated with each object included in the second object group.
According to the exemplary embodiment(s), features similar to those in the exemplary embodiment(s) described above respectively can be achieved.
According to an exemplary embodiment, an information processing system including a non-transitory storage medium storing an information processing program and a processing apparatus main body to which the storage medium can be attached is provided. The processing apparatus main body includes a first housing, a second housing coupled to the first housing for allowing opening and closing, and a processing unit. The first housing includes a first display portion provided in a main surface which is a surface hidden when the first housing and the second housing are closed, first and second operation portions provided at respective opposing sides along an upper side which is a side where the second housing is present when the first housing and the second housing are opened, a third operation portion provided on any one of left and right sides of the first display portion in the main surface of the first housing, and a direction operation portion provided on any the other one of the left and right sides of the first display portion in the main surface of the first housing. The second housing includes a second display portion provided in its main surface. The main surface of the second housing and the main surface of the first housing face substantially an identical direction when the first housing and the second housing are opened. The storage medium includes instructions executed by a computer of the processing apparatus main body, the instructions including first object selection instructions for at least partially displaying a first object group on the first display portion and selecting at least one first object from the first object group in response to an operation of the direction operation portion, second object display instructions for changing a selected position in an order of alignment in a second object group in response to an operation of the first or second operation portion and displaying at least one object included in the second object group and corresponding to the selected position on the second display portion, and object addition instructions for adding a new object corresponding to the selected first object at a position corresponding to the selected position in the second object group in response to an operation of the third operation portion and then displaying at least one object included in the second object group on the second display portion.
According to an exemplary embodiment, an information processing system including a non-transitory storage medium storing an information processing program and a processing apparatus main body to which the storage medium can be attached is provided. The processing apparatus main body includes a first housing, a second housing coupled to the first housing for allowing opening and closing, and a processing unit. The first housing includes a first display portion provided in a main surface which is a surface hidden when the first housing and the second housing are closed, first and second operation portions provided at respective opposing sides along an upper side which is a side where the second housing is present when the first housing and the second housing are opened, a third operation portion provided on any one of left and right sides of the first display portion in the main surface of the first housing, and a direction operation portion provided on any the other one of the left and right sides of the first display portion in the main surface of the first housing. The second housing includes a second display portion provided in its main surface. The main surface of the second housing and the main surface of the first housing face substantially an identical direction when the first housing and the second housing are opened. The storage medium includes instructions executed by a computer of the processing apparatus main body, the instructions including first object selection instructions for at least partially displaying a first object group on the first display portion and selecting at least one first object from the first object group in response to an operation of the direction operation portion, second object display instructions for changing a selected position in an order of alignment in a second object group in response to an operation of the first or second operation portion and displaying at least one object included in the second object group and corresponding to the selected position on the second display portion, and association instructions for associating data corresponding to the selected first object with data showing at least one object included in the second object group and corresponding to the selected position in the second object group in response to an operation of the third operation portion and then displaying the associated object on the second display portion, with association with the data being shown.
The foregoing and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the exemplary embodiment(s) will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.